Among the Gently Mad: Strategies and Perspectives for the Book Hunter in the 21st Century

From the author of A Gentle Madness-a book with more than seventy thousand copies in print that delighted bibliophiles everywhere-comes a twenty-first-century guide to book collecting that deals with both the traditional methods of acquisition and the electronic tools now available on the Internet.

Sharing the superb insight he has gathered from booksellers over the years, Nicholas Basbanes offers a refresher course on the fundamentals that endure, while questioning certain practices of doubtful validity. Topics include how to determine if a book is a first edition, how to spot book club editions, the importance of dust jackets, scouting the flea markets, how to work the book fairs, and the importance of handling the goods, as well as discussing less tangible issues like spotting trends and having a focus. Then he takes a long look at the pros and cons of Internet buying, illuminating how you can use these electronic tools to your advantage and making this the book no modern collector will want to be without.

User ratings

5 stars

2

4 stars

2

3 stars

1

2 stars

1

1 star

0

LibraryThing Review

User Review - mstrust - LibraryThing

Subtitled "Strategies and Perspectives for the Book Hunter in the Twenty-First Century", this is about how the book hunter or collector finds what they're looking for from specialized book sellers or ...Read full review

LibraryThing Review

User Review - csayban - LibraryThing

A much quicker read than his seminal work, A Gentile Madness, Nicholas Basbanes creates a book that is both an enjoyable read and a handy reference on the does and don'ts of book collecting in the age ...Read full review